A pet owner, in addition to being responsible for the pet, is responsible for cleaning up after the pet. The usual household pet is either a cat or a dog. In either case the excrement from such pet must or should be collected and properly disposed of by the pet owner or pet caretaker. Many municipalities and private governing bodies, such as condominium associations have ordinances and rules concerning the cleaning up of pet excrements. At best such responsibility is not pleasant and if not done right, besides being messy, can also be unhealthful.
Prior art devices and methods address the clean-up problem in several ways. Housings or boxes, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,394,835, 5,178, 100, or 5,178,099 require the pet to enter some portion of the housing or box prior to its use. Such devices require extensive training of the pet as well as space requirements for the apparatus itself. Another device is a pad laid on the ground or other suitable surface upon which the pet deposits its excrement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,426. The pad is then folded and disposed of by the pet caretaker. This device, although more portable than the box or housing, still requires the pet to be trained to stand on the pad to use it. A third solution to the pet clean-up problem is the "pouch and harness" device. Such device entails the use of a harness assembly that holds a pouch over or near the pet's anal opening the collection of pet excrement. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,502,417, 5,315,960, 5,386,802, 5,386,801, and 5,427,059. Such devices require the pet caretaker to affix the harness to the pet each time that the device is to be used; in other words, each time the pet is going to excrete. The alternative to watching the pet for signs of the devices's need is to leave the harness assembly on the pet at all times. In addition, the pet has to be trained to accept the usage of the harness.
The prior an devices and methods do not fill the need for a lightweight, easily used pet excrement collection device that does not require pet training, can be used without attaching any assembly or apparatus to the pet, can be used anywhere the pet and the pet caretaker are together. The prior art devices and methods do not facilitate the disposal of pet excrement in a clean, convenient, sanitary and efficient manner.